Normal?
by Elvenstarz
Summary: A group of average teenagers get sucked into the Avatar world to find that they all have special abilities, and are indeed longawaited heroes. Normal teens? Not really. Normal crossover? Not really.
1. Bends High School

**Great, another stupid fic where the author inserted herself in so she could go and save the Avatar world... Or is it?**

"Katara!"

"Yes, Aang?"

"I need help! Like, right now! Mrs. Priborny gave us this homework assignment on Tuesday, and I completely forgot about it! Can I copy yours?"

"Of course not! That would be cheating!"

"Please? Oh, pretty pretty please? It's worth at least half my grade!"

Katara sniffed. "Aang, I'm in that class with you and that stupid assignment is only worth 5 points. It's not going to kill you."

"Please! This will be the first assignment since the beginning of the year that I'd miss!"

"Oh, fine." Katara relented. "For the sake of your 'perfect record'."

"Thank you Katara!" Aang immediately grabbed her paper and began to furiously scribble the answers down on a separate sheet of paper. He finished moments before the bell rang. Giving Katara a thumbs up, he sank into his seat and set all supplies out, ready for the day.

Meet Katara and Aang, two freshman at Bends High School. Since the time they met in 6th grade they've been close friends. Katara's older brother, Sokka, was a senior, and he was loving every second of it.

"SOKKA!"

"Ow!" Sokka rubbed his smarting hand, which had just been hit by the teacher's ruler.

"Sokka! If you need more sleep I suggest you do it at home. That way you wouldn't be getting detention for the next week."

Sokka groaned as the rest of the class snickered. "It's alright, Sokka." His best friend, and girlfriend, Suki whispered. "I got detention too."

"Great." Sokka groaned. "That makes me feel loads better." Looking at his watch, "Awright! Counting down 5, 4, 3, 2,"

_Briiiinnnggggg_

"Lunchtime!" Sokka bolted out the door, Suki close behind. Meeting up with Aang and Katara in the lunch room, they settled down at their normal table. Sokka began to wolf down his food as Suki watched, bemused. Aang took out his salad.

"Hey Aan, you now tha yull dhie ith u only ea vehethables."

"Ew Sokka, that's gross. Eat with your mouth closed." Katara reprimanded him.

Sokka grinned and took a huge swallow of water, forcing the food down his throat. "Geeze Aang, how can you not want to take a bite outta this here bacon?" Sokka stuffed it into his mouth.

"No thanks, Sokka. You do know you're eating a pig, right?"

"And a right fine tasty pig it is too."

"Sokka, if you keep eating like that you'll give yourself a hernia." Katara told him, trying to act motherly, and not succeeding as she was laughing her head off.

"I'm a growing boy!" Sokka protested.

"Yeah Katara." Suki said. "Don't you know? All of the male speciman eat like that. Expecially the ones who are from 14-19 years of age. Quite fascinating, really." Suki pretended to study Sokka with a scientific air.

"Aang doens't eat like that!" Katara tried to defend herself.

"Thah's bechus Aan isth a woierdo."

"AaAaAng!"

"Ack! Hide me!" Aang ducked under the table just as Meng passed by.

"Have you guys seen Aang?" Meng asked, looking around. "I thought for sure I saw him with you guys..."

"Um, no, sorry, no Aang here!" The gang hurriedly told her.

"Darn..." Meng wandered off.

"Whew, that was close." Aang breathed a sigh of relief as he sat back up.

"Aww, are you guys breaking up?" Sokka cooed.

"Gosh Sokka, we were never together." Aang replied, turning bright red and avidly avoiding Katara's eyes.

"Uh-oh, trouble." They all turned to see the school's bad-boy, Zuko. Moodily, he looked around and took up residence at an empty table. A gaggle of girls were giggling and shoving each other, trying to get one or the other to go up to him. Zuko studiously ignored them.

"You ask him to Sady-Hawkins!" "No, you first!" "I told you first!"

Everyone gave a collective sigh. "You know he'll just reject them all. Just like last year." Suki sighed.

"I don't know what everyone sees in him." Katara sighed. "Sure, he's really hot (and a senior to boot), and he's also top of his class. But who would want to date someone moodier than a pirana?"

"It's because he's a bad-ass. Girls dig the bad-ass." Sokka assumed a badboy pose, and promtly fell out of his chair. Everyone laughed.

"Well, I kind of understand why he acts like that." Aang said solemnly. "You know, the stuff with his father..." Everyone grew quiet. The rumor was that Zuko's dad was some big-shot military dude, and he had disowned his son for not wanting to go into boot camp. His father had told him he wouldn't accept him back until he'd proved himself worthy of being a general's son. Either that or go to boot camp. Now he lived with his uncle, and was striving to be as perfect as possible. That's why Zuko was now top-of-the-senior-class, named #1 athlete of the year, and one of the most sought-after boys in school.

"Hey, I forgot about Sady-Hawkins." Suki looked at Sokka. "Do you want me to be romantic or can I just ask you right here?"

"Buy me another chicken sandwich and I'll go!" Sokka grinned and they shared a light kiss.

"Ewww!" Aang and Katara groaned, laughing inside. Aang looked hopefully at Katara. "Who are you going to ask?" Aang asked, trying to make it sound light.

"Hmm, I don't know. There's that junior Jet, but he's kind of a jerk. Then again, Haru's also pretty cool..." Aang looked crestfallen. "Oh, don't be a party-pooper! Of course I'm going to ask you! I just haven't found the right time or way yet..." Aang's grin returned.

"Ok Katara. You just take as much time as you need."

"God you guys, I just can't figure out of you're going out or not." Sokka could never really figure out the relationship between Aang and his sister. The bell rang, and they all separated to go to their classes.

At the end of the day Suki kissed Sokka goodbye and Sokka, Katara, and Aang all began to walk home. All three lived at an orphanage. Sokka and Katara's parents had both died in the war. Aang had gone into a coma when he was 6, and when he woke up no one knew where his parents had gone. All three were pretty sad, but they had formed their own little family within the orphanage.

"So, Sokka. Finals are coming up. How's it going?"

"Eh, you know, soso." Sokka brushed it off. He always acted stupid, but he was actually extremely smart. Katara and Aang both knew that, but enjoyed pestering him.

"Bet you'll get a D again." Katara teased.

Sokka turned red. "That was in one class! Music just isn't my thing..." The school had insisted that every student take some sort of music class, and Sokka's attempts at the french horn had failed. He was quite content with percussion though.

They reached the orphanage, and Sokka shut himself in his room to talk on IM with Suki. Aang and Katara grabbed a deck of cards and played Egyptian Ratslap in the yard with a couple of the other orphans. After about a half hour, the mistress of the house came outside. "Aang, Katara, do you know where Sokka is?"

"In his room, or at least he should be." Katara called back.

"Well, he has a visitor. I need to make dinner, could you please take him up to Sokka's room?" Aang and Katara handed off their cards to other people, and stepped inside. To their enormous surprise, there stood Zuko.

"Um, what do you want?" Katara asked cautiously. Zuko had made it clear he hated Sokka, if it hadn't been for Sokka's musical D he would have had a hard time keeping his valedictorian status.

"I need to get a homework assignment from a class Sokka has with me." Zuko said grumpily. "Some girl took my planner to get a sample of my writing..."

'Creepy obsessive fangirls.' Katara thought to herself. "Um, yeah, right this way." Aang took Katara's hand to comfort her. They led Zuko up the stairs to Sokka's room. Katara knocked lightly.

"Sokka? There's someone here for you." Katara called.

"Wha?" Sokka looked as if he'd just woken from a nap. As soon as he saw Zuko he straightened. "What do you want?"

"Mr. Chronen's workbook assignment." Zuko said moodily. "Just give it to me." As he stepped into Sokka's room Sokka stood protectively by Katara. He had also heard rumors of Zuko's temper and his infamous love of fire. 'Stupid pyromaniac.' Sokka grumbled to himself. As Zuko shuffled through his stuff, a strange necklace fell from his backpack. He didn't seem to notice it. The necklace had four symbols on it, each one looked like a different element.

As Aang bent down to pick it up, Zuko saw it had fallen. "Don't touch that!" He yelled, as he reached for Aang's hand. Too late, he grabbed Aang's wrist just as Aang picked the strange necklace up. A blue and crackling light started all around Aang, and traveled to the two people he was touching. The light also traveled from Katara to Sokka, who had his arm around her. With a crack as loud as thunder, the room seemingly melted from view, to be replaced by a forest.

"No!" Zuko looked horrified, as he stared at Aang. "You, you can't be!"

"What?" Aang, Katara, and Sokka looked extremely confused, and just a bit panicked.

"You're the Avatar."

**Hope you enjoyed! Anywho, Nick and the creators own everything. The fic is rated for possible later violence and language. **


	2. Where Are We?

**Gosh, I didn't get a single review! I bet the description drove a lot of people away, but that's kinda what I wanted the effect to be. Rated for possible later violence and language, Nick and creators own everything...**

"I'm the what?" Aang looked really confused.

"The Avatar." Zuko replied.

"I'm an IM icon?" Aang's poor head hurt.

"NO!" Zuko looked mad. "You're the Avatar. Able to bend all four elements!"

"Zuko, I think you should start from the beginning." Sokka demanded, darting furtive glances around him and keeping Katara and Aang near him.

Zuko sighed. "I've never been here. Apparently it's some sort of alternate universe, my uncle told me about it. He's traveled here before, and told me all about it. I don't know how he got here, or how he got back. It seems that it carries harsh memories for him..." Zuko paused for a second. "I wonder..." He took a deep breath, and assumed a meditating pose.

"What's he doing?" Katara whispered to Aang. Aang shrugged. After a few minutes, Zuko opened his eyes disappointedly.

"Oh well.." He murmured. "Ok, so anyway, in this land there are four nations. Fire, air, water, and earth. When my uncle visited, the four nations were in a war. Fire is the strongest, and was taking over the other nations. They had already wiped out the air nomads, and are battling the kingdoms of earth and water."

"Dwuhh..." The gang gave Zuko a blank stare. "So, you're trying to tell me that we're in this land where everyone gets to be of a different element?" Sokka said incredulously.

"Yes." Zuko looked very angry.

"And how did we get here?"

"If you'd shut up and listen to me you'd find out!" Zuko took several deep breaths. "My uncle gave me that necklace when I was very young, telling me to keep it for him. I don't know what happened to him, or why he wanted me to have the necklace. All I know is that he told me that only the Avatar, master of all four elements, can bring us from one world to the next."

"Master of all four elements?" Sokka was more than skeptical. "So, what? He can shoot fire out of his hands?" Sokka laughed.

"Yes."

"Yes? What the hell?"

"There are people in each nation called benders, they can control an element."

"Ohh! Cool! I want to be an earthbender!" Sokka made Matrix moves, trying to 'bend' the earth.

"You're born into it, you simpleton. It's not something you chose."

"Aww, darn." Sokka looked disappointed.

"But why are we here?" Katara looked frightened.

"Apparently all the Avatar had to do was touch the necklace, and whoever else was connected with him, and he opened some sort of portal to this place."

"So, how do we get back?" Sokka felt himself the most responsible, in charge of the two freshman.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Zuko told him haughtily.

"Aang, are you still touching the necklace?" Katara asked.

"Yeah..." Aang replied dubiously, holding out his hand with the necklace still tightly clenched in it.

As everyone crowded around it Zuko said, "Those four symbols must be the four nation's symbols."

"Fascinating." Sokka replied. "Aang, do you know how to get out?"

"Erm... There's no place like home, no place like home..." Aang started to chant.

"Argh, this is hopeless." Sokka yanked the necklace away from Aang.

"That's mine!" Zuko grabbed it from Sokka and fastened it around his neck. Suddenly, they heard a crack in the woods. Everyone froze, ears open.

"I don't know where we are, but we should find shelter of some sort and plan what we'll do now." Zuko said practically.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Looking around, all they saw were trees. Zuko motioned for them to follow him. Sokka grumbled that Zuko was just assuming leadership, but followed him anyway. After about a half an hour they found a few boulders leaning against each other, and apparently weather had created the perfect niche for them. Katara looked fascinated, she kept rubbing her hands around the walls of the hole/cave.

"What is it?" Aang asked her.

"Look how perfect it is." Katara said, sliding her hand across it. "It's not perfectly smooth, but if it had been weathered why would there be this perfect little cave near the ground? Wouldn't it get weathered from the top, not from the bottom and the side?" They looked at each other.

"Earthbending?" Aang whispered.

Katara gave him a frightened glance. "Maybe..."

"Great, magic." Sokka said sarcastically. "This is just like one of those stupid fantasy books or movies you guys are always forcing me to watch." Sokka had never been a big fan of Harry Potter.

"That's because all you care about it hard-core action." Katara told him snippily. "You didn't have a problem with Lord of the Rings."

"And there are wars going on." Zuko interjected.

"Wait, Zuko, you never told me about this whole Avatar deal." Aang said.

"All I know is the Avatar is the only person who can do more than one element, in fact he can do all four. Apparently he is the 'keeper of the balance'."

"But, I'm only 14." Aang looked scared. "There must have been a mistake, I'm just a normal kid, trying to get through high school. I'm nothing special."

"All the more reason to get outta here." Sokka said practically.

"Well, we don't know how." Zuko said darkly, taking note that night was rapidly falling. "So for now we should get some sleep." He neglected to tell them about the Prophecy his uncle had told him, and how you could figure out what nation you belonged to, and he "forgot" to mention a few other things.

"Sleep?" Katara looked scared witless. "We can't sleep here! This is a strange place, there are wild animals, even worse, what if one of these bender people come and decide to kill us as we sleep? We should find a village or something."

"And I'm hungry." Aang whined.

"It's like babysitting." Zuko grumbled to himself. "Yeah, and if this forest is thousands of miles across? What if a town is just east, and we just go west for miles? That would be intelligent." Zuko said. "We can set a watch if that make you feel better. As for food, you'll just have to tough it out. Unless you want to go hunting for strange food in a strange wood in a strange world."

"No, it, it's ok." Aang stuttered. "Gosh, Zuko is so practical about all this." Aang thought to himself. "Oh yeah, dad is a big military dude. I bet he's even done this before..."

"Sokka, you take first watch." Zuko ordered.

"What? Why me?"

"Because it's hardest to do watch in the middle of the night when you've already got some sleep, and still need to sleep. I'll take that one."

"Oh, how noble of you." Sokka grumbled.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help." Zuko fumed. "Without me you'd probably still be stumbling around in the dark, and end up getting offed by some insane rogue!"

"Without you we wouldn't be here in the first place! You're the one who had that stupid necklace!"

"Oh, so now we've got the blame game going on? Fine, blame it on my uncle who gave the necklace! Or blame it on the girl who stole my planner, which forced me to go to your stupid home in the first place!" Zuko and Sokka glared at each other, anger visible and sparks flying.

"This isn't helping!" Aang shouted. "Let's just get some sleep, tomorrow we can search for someone who knows what's going on!"

"Fine." Sokka took his place at the front of the niche. Zuko rolled into a little ball as far from the others as he could. Aang and Katara gave each other a despairing glance, then lay down together, using each other as a blanket. Sleep was a long time in coming for all of them.

**Later that night- **

_Crack_

Katara snapped to attention, ears straining for the slightest sound. It was her turn for watch, Zuko having just gone to bed minutes ago. After a few moments of nothings, she relaxed. "Animals." She muttered. "I wish we'd brought some supplies, blankets, food, flashlights, or something. All Zuko has in his backpack is a buncha school books. Then again, we had no idea this would happen..." Katara thought about this insane trip, still half-thinking it was a dream. This was not how she had planned on spending her weekend.

A dark shape loomed out of the darkness, and came right towards them, fire in their hand. Katara gave them a shocked look, seeing where the fire was coming from. "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Her shriek split the air.

**Not much of a cliffy, but I needed somewhere to stop. Hope you liked!**


	3. New Face

**Urgh, finals are torture... Just felt like sharing with you all.**

**Don't own Avatar, Nick and the creators do. Rated for language, fluff, and violence.**

Zuko was awake in a flash, crouched like a tiger. Katara flung herself into the little nook, clinging to Sokka for protection. The fireball came closer, and as it did it illuminated the face of its carrier. The face looked tired beyond reason, but his eyes still twinkled merrily. "Uncle!" Zuko stood up and swiftly embraced the newcomer. Feeling the other's eyes on him, he swiftly ended the hug and glared at his uncle.

"Tell me what is going on, uncle."

"Who, who are you?" Sokka stuttered, keeping Katara and Aang in his bear-like hug. "You had _fire_ coming out of your hands!"

Still watching his uncle with a wary eye, Zuko said, "This is my uncle, Iroh. He is the one who gave me that necklace."

Aang perked up. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Oh no you don't!" Sokka yanked Aang back as Aang tried to introduce himself. "He had fire coming out of his hands. That's unnatural. I don't trust him."

"Sokka, what if what Zuko said was really true?" Katara implored, also trying to free herself from the clutches of her brother to goggle at this fire-wielding apparition. "Zuko did say there were _fire_benders."

"Katara! There is no such thing as magic! Use your sense!"

"It's not magic." Iroh stated calmly. "It's bending, infinitely different from magic. Us benders cannot make things appear, we can only change that which is already there."

"Magic." Sokka growled.

"Wait a minute!" Zuko's rage was starting up again. "US benders? You are a bender? Uncle! I demand an explanation."

Iroh's face grew drawn, and his shoulders slumped. Katara finally shrugged off Sokka's hold and went to stand next to the elder man, who seemed as if he had taken the entire world upon his back. Looking into his eyes, she saw pain, sorrow, and just a little desperation in them. "I really think we need to know what's going on." She told him gently. "We don't know anything, I'm still not sure if this isn't just an insane dream. But, reality or no, we need answers."

Iroh's eyes filled with tears. Zuko looked at his uncle in astonishment. Never in his life had he seen this man he idolized cry. Not a single moment in his life had this man wavered. Now, this girl who had just met him, could reduce him to tears? Zuko was shamed. Her kindness did what his impulsive anger could never hope to do. Zuko growled in frustration and walked into the forest.

"Nephew! That is not safe!" Iroh tried to go after him.

Then, unexpectedly, "Let me." Sokka disentangled himself from Aang and stood up. "I think Zuko really needs someone his age to help him right now."

"Sokka! It's not safe!" Katara and Aang said at the same time. "JINX! Youowemeasoda!"

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

"Well, you've owed me like, 5 sodas since last year."

"Well, you owe me at least half a dozen. That means you have to give me 2."

"You moron! 6-51!" By the time their bickering had stopped, Sokka had already disappeared and Iroh was giving the odd couple a bemused stare. Aang and Katara blushed.

"You still owe me." Aang whispered out of the side of his mouth when he thought Iroh wasn't looking.

"Hey, Zuko!" Sokka called, relieved to have finally found his schoolmate. "What's wrong? You just suddenly flipped out."

"As if I'd tell you." Zuko shot Sokka a smoldering stare. "I barely even know you."

"C'mon." Sokka chided. "If not me, then who will you confide in? Katara, Aang? Your friends from school sure as hell ain't here."

"I have no friends."

"Sure you do." Sokka gave a little laugh, until he saw the fire smoldering behind Zuko's eyes. "You're serious?" He asked, stunned. "No way, you're the most popular guy at school. You've always got those guys hanging around you..."

"You call those friends?" Zuko sneered. "All they want is to snare one of those empty-headed morons who are always following me."

"Wow." Was all Sokka could say. After a moment's hesitation, "I could be your friend."

"I don't have time for friends."

"Dude! You're in high school! Just relax for a bit, get to know a few people. Not all the girls are so stupid, that Jun is intelligent, pretty to boot. I see her eyeing you at school..."

Zuko glared at Sokka contemptuously. "You wouldn't understand."

"You could explain. I know about your dad, at least that is if the rumors are true."

"Oh, you do, do you?" Zuko's eyes narrowed. "Do you know about my sister? About my mother? No, someone like you who has had a loving family would never understand."

Sokka looked startled. It was true, the orphanage was as much a family to him as his sister was. But, he did not know that Zuko had a sister. Judging from his reaction, it looked like Zuko was not as close with his sister as Sokka was with Katara. "Why can't you just tell me? I can guarantee it that you will feel better."

Zuko just leaned up against a tree, his arms crossed moodily. Sokka just gave up. It was obvious this egotistical jerk could never relate to him. He turned to go.

"My sister, Zula. She goes to a special school for gifted girls."

"So?" Sokka turned back, interested.

Zuko sighed. "My sister. She's always been a sort of prodigy. She was always perfect at everything she tried. I could never beat her at anything, even if she is a year younger than me. My father made it clear that he loved my sister more than me. That's the real reason he wanted to send me to boot camp. He just wanted me to go away. I still wonder if I made the right decision, telling him I wouldn't go..." Zuko stared off into space, and started when he felt someone's hand on his arm.

"That must be hard." Sokka said, trying to understand all of what Zuko was going through. "Both of my parents, they're dead, you know. I'm sure your father loves you. Maybe he just doesn't know how to show it."

"Yeah, right." Zuko scowled ferociously. "He won't love me until I can prove to him that I can be better than my sister."

"What about your mother?" Sokka remembered Zuko mentioning her.

"She's dead." Zuko said shortly.

"What happened?"

Zuko's look could have withered Sokka where he stood. "Let's go back. The sun is starting to come up." Inwardly, Sokka cursed himself. He'd gone too far, been too personal with someone who was obviously unused to a relationship of any kind. This friendship would have to be taken much slower, the mysteries around this teen was too complex for Sokka to even begin to fathom. Dejectedly, Sokka fell into step behind Zuko as they walked back to camp.

**A/N-**

**Well, that chapter didn't explain much, but oh well. Explanations will come later, once I actually have a few seconds of spare time to work out all the knots.**


	4. Explanations

**This is pretty much the same chapter 4 as before, but I kinda fixed it. Hopefully it's a bit more plausible now, not as confusing, and a bit longer. Sorry I haven't put in a new chapter in awhile, I'm kinda busy and this story isn't a big hit anyway, so there's no demand for it to be updated quickly.**

**Don't own Avatar, and rated for violence, language, and possible later fluff.**

When Zuko and Sokka got back to camp they found the others still awake and waiting for them.

Before anyone could say anything, Iroh said, "I need to tell you what is going on." Everyone stared at him expectantly. "Aang, you are the Avatar, master of all four elements. Katara, you are an aspiring waterbender, Sokka, you are a water tribe warrior, and Zuko, you are a firebending prince." Everyone stared at Iroh with their jaws on the ground.

"Um, no, we're not. We're four normal teenagers. I don't know what you're on, old man, but there is no such thing as a 'bender'." Sokka said.

"Let me start from the beginning." Iroh sighed, and looked up at the ceiling, wondering where to begin. "You three were best friends. Sokka, you and Katara found Aang in an iceberg..." Iroh continued to tell the story of the three young people, while everyone listened intently. Iroh got to the part about the North Pole triumph. "So, then Yue kissed Sokka and became the moon spirit, therefore defeating the fire nation. There was a lull in the war as the firenation licked their wounds and glared at their enemies. Aang managed to master all four elements, just as the comet was coming he went to the fire nation capital and challenged Ozai. It was a magnificent site, a 13 year old boy battling the Fire Lord. Anyway, to make a long story short, Ozai won. After all, Aang was only 13 at the time.

"I didn't know what to do! I desperately sought out Avatar Roku, knowing everyone was about to die and the world thrown into chaos. Roku, extremely reluctant, but softened by my pleadings, gave me a mighty spell. A spell able to take your souls and put them into an entire other dimension. A place where bending isn't possible, a place called earth. I took your souls and placed them into that world, in the body of a baby. I tried to replicate all the souls of the people you have met and were close to, so your bodies and minds on that earth would be similar to those that were here. In order to replicate the souls, I needed a bit of the person who I was replicating. Unfortunately, as I crept upon the sleeping Fire Lord, he woke. I-" Iroh stopped here, and ignoring his last statement he continued again.

"This was a more effective solution than I could have ever hoped for. The fire nation, after their lord disappeared after their apparent vicotry didn't give up, but without a leader they were eventually crushed. Balance was restored. Everyone was happy. Except..." Iroh looked so tired. "Everyone wants the Avatar. We need the Avatar. There are no more air nomads left. The balance has not been restored. The world lost the Avatar once, they cannot wait again. The earth kingdom is now slowly taking control, accusing the fire nation of bringing this upon them. Everyone cries out for the Avatar."

"But, what am I supposed to do?" Aand cried desperately.

"Fulfill the Prophecy." Iroh stated.

"Prophecy?" Everyone looked at Iroh.

"You didn't tell them about the Prophecy?" Iroh reprimanded Zuko.

"It slipped my mind." Zuko replied, his eyes dark.

"When I defeated the fire lord and sent him to the other dimension, where he had disappeared there were words of fire inscribed on the walls. It said;

_A brief time of peace, then once again chaos will reign, but this time a hundred fold. Two paths will be revealed, and if the right is not taken even the Avatar cannot restore peace. Four heroes will come back after death, yet one will betray. The way will be dark, the courage will be tested. The fate of the world is held on a silver thread_." Iroh recited solemnly.

"Four heros... Return from death?" Katara whispered. "Is it talking, about us?" Iroh nodded.

"One will betray..." Sokka said. "One of us is going to betray the others?" Iroh nodded again.

"Argh! My head!" Aang clutched his head in his hands. "I don't understand! You said the air nomads have tattoos all over their bodies, where are mine? Where is the scar Zuko supposedly got from his dad?"

"Since you were born into different worlds, different things happened to you. In order to make the spell less complicated, I kept everything as close to this world's happenings as possible. Aang's coma, Zuko's father rejecting him, these were all a result of this world."

"So, if Zuko's father was also "reborn" into our world, does that mean it's been 40 years since we've been gone?" Katara asked.

"Katara! You actually believe this?" Sokka yelled at his sister.

"No, time does not work the same in these two dimensions. Only 14 years have passed on this world, the same amount of time Aang has been alive. Also, I did not get the Fire Lord's soul, as I said before. I only replicated it."

"But, but, all my friends! Are they all from this place too?"

"Not all." Iroh said gravely. "Only a few. I only replicated the souls of the people you were close to, and their real bodies are still here. Including you girlfriend, Suki." This he said to Sokka.

"So the people we knew are not really real." Sokka said glumly, grudgingly thinking that this just might be real. It was too outrageous for it not to be.

"They were!" Iroh said animatedly. "Only replicated! Their personalities and appearance are similar, but since they grew up in a different place they are still their own selves!"

"Will we ever remember what happened here, in this other life?" Katara asked, her voice quivering.

"I believe there is." Iroh said sadly. "But I do not know how."

"I, I'm going to sleep." Aang couldn't take it anymore. This was too much, too sudden. Everything was too confusing, Aang only understood parts of this story. He didn't know how to handle it, he wasn't even sure if he believed it. Aang, with a blank expression on his face, curled into the smallest ball possible. Iroh nodded understandingly, and he motioned for the others to follow Aang's example. Just as the sun rose the five heros went to sleep.

**A/N-**

**Not as long a chapter as I wanted, ah well. Hopefully the explanation was plausible. I might have left a few things out, so if you're confused tell me. This is turning into a longer fic than I had originally planned, so if it's not a booming success I may be doing some MAJOR plot rewrites. Urgh, and the prophecy sounds lame beyond REASON! If someone's good at poetry, please be uberly nice and write me a nice little prophecy... Please? **


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